Folding-machine.



No. 703,546. Paten ted July I, I902.

E. COLLON.

FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

No; 703,546. Patented July I, I902;

E. COLLON. FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 3.901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet .THE NORRIS PETERS $0.. PNOTO-UTHOV, w asummu u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE COLLON, OF CANNES, FRANCE.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 703,546, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed February 5 1901. Serial No. 46,103. {No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be known that I, EUGENE OOLLON, en:

gineer, a citizen of the Republic of France,

and a resident of 9 Rue de Oronstad t,'Oannes,

Alpes-Maritimes, France, have invented cer-.

tain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such'as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention refers to improvements in machines for folding table-napkins and other articles of linen or the like, (forming the subject of my United States Patent No. 677,436,

dated July 2, 1901,) wherein the napkin (or other article to be folded) having been put in motion by a cylinder which is provided with a continuous rotary motion is brought in contact successively with as many folding devices as it is to receive folds in one direction, each of these devices folding 'it once. It then passes to another cylinder, which brings it into contact, with a second series of folding devices with the object of folding it in the other direction.

In machines of this kind each of the folding devices comprises a plate-guide supported against the cylinder. in such a manneras to guide the linen goods therefrom, a knife having an intermittent movement to and from the end of the plate and cylinder, and a creasing-roller below the plate.

The improvement consists in devices to' Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation the arrangement of the first cylinder andof the parts of the apparatus surrounding said cylinder. Fig. 2 is a detail view,

also in side elevation, of certain of the parts -in different positions from those shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is afront elevation to a smaller scale, showing thegeneral arrangement of the apparatus.

The principal parts of the machine consist of two standards 29 and 30,;which are suitablytied or connected together. On these standards are fixed two smaller standards or frames 31 and 32, and between these is arranged the carrier-cylinder b, which is covered with a layer of felt 19, the shaft y of said cylinder being mounted in bearings 33. On said shaft y are keyed, first, a disk 00; secondly, a second disk ll, provided with cams s, 0, and'h, which are capable of adjustment by reason oftheir being arranged as follows:

Each of these cams is provided with a tailpiece or lug 34. The lug 34 of the cam 0 takes into a recess 35, madein the disk 11, and the lugs 34 of the cams sand h are merely applied to the external. and internal faces, respectively, of the disk. These diflerent camsare fixedly attached 'to the disk by means of bolts 36 and fly-nuts 37, the slots .38, throughwhich the bolts pass, permitting of varying the relative positions of the various cams. Supports 39, fixed in the frames 31'and 32 or cast inone therewith, support a fixedfeed-table c and serve as bearings for a transverse shaft.40. On this shaft are fixed,

outside of the frames 31 and 32, two arms or levers" 42, carrying a roller 22, capable of revolving freely. On the same shaft is keyed a lever to, carrying a roller 41, and fixedly mounted on the said shaft are two lateral arms 43, connected by a rod 25, whichforms a counterweight to keep the roller 41 pressed against the cam 00. 7 u

The pressure-rollers a, f, and'l are arranged between the frames 31 and 32, and as these three rollers are mounted in the same manner I will merely describe the arrangement of one'of them. The roller 0. is provided with a shaft 44, each end of which runs in a bearing 45, which slides in the slot or guides 102, formed between the two uprights of the frames. This roller is kept in contact with the carrier-cylinder b by means of springs to acting on the bearings 45. The tension of these springs is regulated by turning the screws 101, which pass through the screwed caps 103 on top of the slots orguides 102 and which press on the springs.

Between the frames 31 and 32 are arranged knives e and is, mounted, respectively, on slides 49 and 56, which are movable in the guides or slots 50 and 57, arranged in each of the said frames. The slides 49 are each provided with a pin or stud, (marked, respectively, 48 and 48,) which pins project outwardly and take into the slots, such as 47, formed at one endof each of the double-armed levers p 12, mounted, respectively, on the frames 32 and 31. The knife is is connected in the same manner by the studs and 55 to similar levers 53 and 53. The leverspp, pivoted to the frames 31 32 at 200 201,are similarly provided at the other ends with slots through which pass the studs 1 and q, fixed in the levers r and 1", which are keyed on a transverse shaft d, mounted in the frames 31 and 32. The levers 53 and 53, pivoted to the same frames at 202 203, are connected in the same manner by slots and studs 58 and 58 to the levers g and g, which are keyed on the transverse shaftj. The lever 7' is prolonged to carry at its free end a roller 51, which rests on the disk 11 in the plane of the cams. The lever g is prolonged in the same manner to carry at its free end a roller 104, which rests on the disk 11 in the plane of the cam 0.

The supports 52 of a platform (Z are keyed to the shaft (1, which platform at its inner end is provided with a part 105, turned under in such manner that when the roller 51 rests on the periphery of the disk 11 this part 105 is quite close to the cylinder 1) and concentric therewith. The shaft also carries a platform j, similar to the platform d.

A lever 15 is keyed on a transverse shaft 4 and has at one end a roller (30, which rests on the disk 11 in the path of the cam h. This shaft 4 is provided with two levers 3 and 3', which support the bar 02, on which is fixed the platform or leaf 1, and mounted on the same shaft 4 is a lever 8, jointed at the other end to a connecting-rod 9, of which the other end is connected to a lever 5, mounted loosely on the shaft 3 Asimilar lever 5 is mounted in the same manner at the other end of the shaft 7 and these two levers are connected by a transverse rod (36, on which is fixed the platform or leaf 2.

Under the cylinder 1) is mounted a moving table or conveyer i, which receives the napkins folded in one direction around the cylinder 1) and conducts them to a second cylinder 5', similar to the one marked Z), hereinbefore described, and for the purpose of folding the napkins in the other direction. This conveyer is constructed in-the form of an endless belt or'apron i, which passes over a drum 67, and the cylinder Z), which are mounted in the frames 29 and 30 in such a manner that their shafts are arranged at right angles to that of the cylinder 1).

As shown in Fig. 3, the cylinder 1) is provided with mechanism arranged to produce folding similar to that of the cylinder b namely, a disk 110, like the disk 11 and provided with cams O and S, similar to the cams 0 and 3, two folding-knives operated by levers R and P, similar to the levers 1 and p, and levers G and 530, similar to the levers g and 53, two platforms D and J, similar to the platforms d and j and connected to the levers R and G in the same manner as the levers d andj are connected to the levers 1" and g, three rollers A, F, and L, similar to the rollers a, f, and Z and arranged in the same manner. The napkins folded in both directions drop onto an endless moving table or apron m, which carries them a certain distance, wherefrom they are taken to be putin piles. rollers 79 and 80, the shafts of which are The apron m passes over pulleys ormounted in bearings 109 and 108, respectively,

carried on lateral supports, such as 107, forming part of the framework of the machine.

All the moving parts are operated by means of the following arrangement: On the frame 29 are fixed brackets 65, carrying bearings 09, in which is mounted a shaft 22, and on this shaft is keyed a pulley 23, driven by a belt 71. A bevel-wheel 21 (indicated in dotted lines on the said shaft) gears with and communicates motion to a bevel-wheel 20, keyed on the shaft 1 of the cylinder 1), and, finally, a sprocket-wheel '70 on the shaft 22 drives a sprocket-wheel 27, mounted on the shaft 73 of a drum 67, by means of a chain 72. This shaft 73 has keyed thereon a sprocket-wheel 26, which by means of a chain 74 communi cates motion to a sprocket-wheel 75, keyed on the shaft of the cylinder Z). There is also a sprocket-wheel 76 keyed on the shaft of the cylinder 1), which communicates motion to a sprocket-wheel 78, keyed on the shaft of the roller 79 by means of achain 77, and consequentlyim parts motion to the endless apron or belt m.

The operation is as follows: The napkin to be folded is put on the platform 0 and is pushed in such manner that its end goes past the platform and rests on the cylinder 1) at about the point z. (See Fig. 1.) The cam 0; comes into contact with the roller 41, and thus causes the lever w to swing, whereby the roller 7 presses against that part of the napkin underneath it. The napkin is consequently pressed against the covering of the rotary cylinder 5, is caused to advance, and is fed under the roller a, which, pressed down by the springs it, forces the napkin into such intimate contact with the cylinder 1) that the said napkin is constrained to move with the cylinder. At this moment the projecting part of the cam :10 passes by and releases the lever 10, which assumes its first position, as shown in the drawings, by reason of the counterweight t. In advancing the napkin passes onto the platform (1, and when a third of its length is thereon the cam 3 passes under the lever r and raises it, together with the platform d, which is mounted on the same shaft d as the said lever 7'. At the same time the studs q and q of the levers r and r operate the levers p and p, which latter cause the movement of the knife eand make it mark the fold. When the cam s has released the lever r, the latter, together with the knife e and the platform 01, assume their original positions in such manner that the turned-under part 105 of the platform nips the fold formed and presses it against the cylinder 5, which continues to carry with it the napkin thus once folded. The fold then passes under the roller f, which under the action of its springs presses the fold and, together with the cylinder b, serves to cause the napkin to advance onto the platform j. When the time arrives to form the second fold, the cam o raises the lever g (which acts exactly in the same manner as the lever r) for the purpose of raising the platform j away from the cylinder 1) and for lowering the knife 70. The latter is then immediately raised,the platform j assumes its original position, nips the napkin for the second fold,and the napkin folded in three passes under the compressing-roller Z and then falls to the receiving platforms or plates 1 2. The napkin slides on the platform or plate 1, and a certain portion slides onto the platform or plate 2. At the proper moment the cam 72. comes into contact with and depresses the roller 60, carried at the lower end of the lever 6, which then swings and carries with it the levers 3 and 3, and the platform 1 thus swings away from the cylinder 1), as shown in Fig. 2. The lever 8, connecting-rod 9, and arms 5 are also simultaneously actuated and moved into the position shown in Fig. 2, the plate 2 serving to positively strip the folded napkin from the cylinder bin case it should not fall therefrom by its own weight. The napkin then falls onto the endless belt or apron t, which carries it to the second cylinder b. The napkin is carried around this cylinder in the same manner as it was around the first one, and it is folded in the other direction as compared with the folding performed by the first cylinder. The napkin then falls onto the endless band or apron m, from which it is taken by an operator, who piles the napkins.

It will be understood that in case the linen has only to be folded in one direction the second cylinder and the parts appertaining thereto may be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for folding linen, the combination with a rotating cylinder, guideplates, folding-knives, and levers to actuate said plates and knives; of a cam-wheel rotating with said cylinder to actuate said levers, and means timed to move the piece to be folded into engagement with the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for folding linen, the combination with a shaft, :1. cylinder secured thereto,-guide-plates, folding-knives, and levers to actuate said plates and knives; of a cam-wheel secured to said shaft to actuate the levers, and adjustable cam-surfaces on the wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a machine for folding linen, the combination with a shaft, .a cylinder secured thereto, guide-plates, folding-knives, and levers to actuate said plates and knives; of a cam-Wheel secured on the shaft to actuate said levers, a fixed table, a roller normally out of engagement with the cylinder, and a cam on said shaft to cause said roller to move in front of the table to feed the piece to be folded to the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine for folding linen, the combination with a shaft, a cylinder secured thereto, guide-plates, folding-knives, and levers to actuate said plates and knives; of a cam-wheel secured to said shaft, cam-surfaces adj ustably secured thereto to actuate the levers, a plate, 1, a stripping-plate, 2, mounted to rotate around said shaftand cylinder,-camoperated lever mechanism to simultaneously actuate both of said plates 1 and 2, and camoperated means to to be folded into engagement with the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a machinefor folding linen, a shaft, a bevel wheel, a cylinder thereon, guideplates, folding-knives, and levers to actuate said plates and knives; of a cam-wheel on said shaft, adjustable cam-surfaces thereon to actuate the levers, a counter-shaft, a'bevelwheel to mesh with the aforementioned one, an endless 'carrier-apron driven from the counter-shaft beneath said cylinder, and similar means to fold linen at its end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres= ence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE COLLON. Witnesses:

F. YARU, EUGENE POURRU.

positively move the piece 

